Voeren en Beloeren

A bullfinch couple entertained us this weekend, which is always a rare and delicious treat.  But this weekend was the Flemish equivalent of Audubon's Great Backyard Bird Count, and so we were doubly pleased to include such a beauty to OUR list!  The males are striking, but this female I found particularly attractive, esp. when perched in the holly bush.  Doesn't she look like a mini killer whale?

We had a record finish this year, with 25 species and 67 birds total, including a Tawny owl (Bosuil) that hooted and howled Friday night AND Saturday morning!!!!!!  Stijn and the kids heard it too, which is as rare as hearing thunder in Belgium.

Survey results ......

2 blue Tit   (Pimpelmees)

5 great Tit   (Koolmees)

2 coal Tit   (Zwarte mees)

1 marsh Tit (Glansklop)

2 long-tailed Tit  (Staartmees)

2 crested Tit (Kuifmees)

2 nuthatch  (Boomklever)

1 robin (Roodborst)

4 dunnock  (Heggemus)

8 greenfinch (Groenling)

2 chaffinch (Vink)

2 blackbird (Merel)

1 g. spotted woodpecker 

(Grote Bonte Specht)

4 brambling (Keep)

1 hawfinch (Appelvink)

2 bullfinch (Goudvink)

1 ring-necked Parakeet

(Halsbandparkiet)

2 collared dove

(Turkse Tortel)

14 wood dove (Houtduif)

2 magpie (Ekster)

2 crow (Kraai)

1 goldcrest (Goudhaan)

2 jay (Gaai)

1 starling  (Spreeuw)

1 tawny Owl (Bosuil)